The 100 News: March 2017

01Mar

Special Issues

Many of our members – including Oklahoma, New Orleans and Atlanta – have published timely special issues on topics ranging from Mardi Gras to Local Nonprofits.

Over the past two months, Gloria Dittus and the rest of the Story Partners team have published a series of three particularly successful policy-themed issues of The Washington DC 100: editions on infrastructure, food & agriculture and energy.

The Infrastructure issue attracted a 20% open rate with a third of the openers clicking on links. Food & Agriculture received an 18% open rate. The Energy issue was delivered this week.

Tips From The 100 TeamEditorial: Member Placement Stories

We are excited to report that several members are running stories in other members’ eNewsletters. As we mentioned previously in an email, if you had stories in other markets you will be receiving a report from Leah Steinberg after the end of each month.

Please note we do sometimes make minor wording changes to a story to take out local references. We may also switch out a photo to make it more relevant to a broader audience.

In addition to placements you request, we sometimes select stories from your eNewsletters to run in other markets. Those stories will also be included in the report.

The 100 team is excited about some new features we’ll be rolling out to members next month. (See graphic below)

During March, we’ve been working on dashboards to provide members with the ability to to see their email, website and social media performances.

In April, we’ll be working with you to get the kind of reporting most useful to your needs – without having to log into multiple reporting areas. You’ll also be able to share the reporting much more easily with your staff and customers.

Stay tuned. We’re really looking forward to working together with you on this exciting new feature-functionality set with you.

Sales: Client Successes

One strategy proving to be effective for members to generate new revenue is publishing special “themed” eNewsletters focusing on one event or one topic. In February, The New Orleans 100 published a “Mardi Gras” special issue and then another one in March on the economic development of the Northshore area of New Orleans. Both issues had one sponsor and produced incremental revenue for Gambel Communications.

Now, B2 Communications has scheduled a special issue of The Tampa Bay 100, but is trying a different sales approach. In late April, The Tampa Bay 100 will publish a special “Give Day” issue prior to Give Day Tampa Bay, a 24-online giving challenge. Give Day Tampa Bay is an opportunity to learn more about hundreds of non-profits in the Tampa Bay area and the good works they’re doing to improve the community. Last year, more than $2 million was raised in 24 hours for Tampa Bay non-profits.

B2 Communications has quite a few non-profit clients and it is devoting this entire issue to the event, which is organized by its client the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay. The Give Day special issue has created opportunities for B2 to get in touch with the leadership of different organizations with which they previously had little or no relationship.

“This is very important to our firm as it has opened up lines of communication that we didn’t have before,” said Missy MacFarlane, principal at B2 Communications. “We think these new relationships will have long-term benefits for us.”

To date, B2 Communications has sold seven content packages for the “Give Day” special issue of The Tampa Bay 100. The issue will publish on April 26.

Featured Story of the Month

The Memphis 100 ran one of our favorite community stories ever in itsFebruary 17 issue: Barber Gives Students Haircut and Life Lessons. Fidell Woods gives free haircuts to students at a local elementary school for free on one condition: they have to read to him or do schoolwork while they are perched in his chair. He also started a mentoring program at the school for the young boys.